If I asked you what your personal values are today, could you name them?
Really? Now, if I asked you whether your work aligns with your values, what would you say? And if it doesn’t, what would you do?
Tough questions. Difficult answers.
I can tell you that right now, I can name my values with truth and conviction. I can also say that they fully align with my work. But could I always do that? No, absolutely not. Like, wholeheartedly not, for quite a long time. And the funny thing about it is that I didn’t even know it…until I did. And I didn’t know what I would do about that…until I did. When it all happened? My whole life changed.
In fact, I can pinpoint the exact clarifying moment that revealed some deep truths about myself and altered the direction of my whole career. Recently, I talked about it on the Change Work Life podcast. Basically, our conversation centered around the question:
When you discover your personal values are at odds with the company you work for, what do you do?
And whew, it was an excellent conversation. I shared more about my career journey on this podcast than I ever have before. And not just the general story I usually tell, but the weird and surprising little details from college forward. In fact, as I listened to the episode myself, I realized it’s those weird and surprising details that are probably the most insightful and potentially helpful and encouraging for anyone who listens.
So, in addition to my professional background, we also talked about some specific business operations tidbits, how to get a job without direct experience, tips on actually identifying your values, and a few of my favorite resources for personal and professional growth.
If you’re feeling any tension at all between your values and your work, I highly recommend you take a listen to this episode. (Don’t worry, no one at work will ever know you listened.)
Now, to be fair, for some people this doesn’t really matter, and I get it. A job is a job, and some folks are great at compartmentalizing that. But I’m going to go ahead and guess that since you’re here and we’re internet (and maybe IRL) friends, it probably matters to you, at least in some respects. I mean, we spend more than a third of our waking hours at work, so it’s kind of important we find a way to make sure it doesn’t suck our souls away. This conversation is a good start.
But, frankly, if you’re feeling any kind of tension or indecision or pull to make a change in your work or career or anything related to it, I highly recommend you check out the library of nearly 100 other Change Work Life episodes. The secret background of this podcast is that the host, Jeremy Cline, is kind of unsatisfied with his own work life (don’t tell his boss). And rather than make an abrupt change, he decided to explore how other people approached similar feelings and challenges in their own careers in order to find some clarity in his own decision. The result is a huge wealth of insight and experience from all kinds of different professionals in all kinds of situations, across the globe. It’s a really, really good resource.
I would actually love to learn your answers to the questions at the beginning of this blog. I think it’s an important topic, and it doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. Reach out if it feels right to share, and let me know what you think of the episode too.
Listen here, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.
Speaking of work life and aligned values… *sneak peek* it’s something I’m covering in my talk at the AspireHer conference next weekend. There’s still time to get your ticket! In-person or virtually. Save 15% (almost $60!) with my code, KOURTNEY15
If you’re ready to figure out how to better align your work and values, reach out about coaching or schedule a free call with me directly below. I promise, it’s possible, and I can help. You can also sign up for weekly emails with more work tidbits right here.
